Milkweed Flower Jelly
Milkweed flower jelly captures the sweet, honey-like fragrance of summer milkweed blossoms in a delicate, pale pink jelly. A unique foraged preserve with subtle floral flavor.
Servings: 36 servings (about 4-5 half pint jars)
Equipment
- Half Pint Mason Jars
- Canning lids and bands
- Large Deep Stainless Steel Saucepan
- Fine Mesh Strainer or Cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 2 cups milkweed flower clusters loosely packed, from common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
- 4 cups boiling water for infusion
- 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
- 1 box powdered pectin 1.75 oz, like Sure-Jell or Ball Classic (or 6 Tbsp bulk)
- 4 cups sugar
Instructions
- Gently rinse milkweed flowers. Place in a heat-proof bowl, pour 4 cups boiling water over flowers, pressing to submerge. Cover and steep at least 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in refrigerator for stronger flavor.
- Strain through fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth, pressing gently on flowers. Discard spent flowers.
- Pour 4 cups infusion into a large, deep saucepan. Add bottled lemon juice. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
- Add sugar all at once, stirring to dissolve. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim foam.
- Ladle hot jelly into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, center lids, and apply bands to fingertip tight.
- Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes for half pints, or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet in elevation. Let stand in canner 5 minutes before removing.
Notes
Be absolutely certain of your plant identification before harvesting. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) has distinctive opposite leaves, milky sap, and clustered pink-purple flowers. Dogbane is a toxic look-alike. If you're not 100% confident, don't harvest.
Harvesting Tips
Harvest when flowers are fully open and at peak fragrance, usually early to mid-summer. Take only what you need and leave plenty for pollinators, especially monarch butterflies.Color Variation
The finished jelly color ranges from pale pink to deeper rose depending on the flowers. Darker flowers produce more intensely colored jelly.Altitude Adjustments
- 0 to 6,000 feet: 10 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 15 minutes
Nutrition
Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 0.01g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.001g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 1mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 0.4mg | Iron: 0.05mg